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Payne interview(real player)
Payne press conf (real player)
Payne knows drama
By Carter Toole
Houstontexans.com
In his heart of gridiron hearts, Seth Payne didnt want to leave Houston.
He liked his teammates and coaches. He liked the city. And his wife, Brandi, is due to have the couples first child in May. A major move is not exactly what Payne was seeking at this point in his life. But Payne also understands that this is a business. Thats why he was on a flight to New York Wednesday morning in the first few hours of the free agency period. Payne also had scheduled visits to Cleveland and New Orleans. He was simply performing his due diligence.
Luckily for Payne and the Texans, he was back in Houston Wednesday night. And today he sat before the cameras as the proud owner of a new four-year contract. Im just really excited to still be a part of this organization, Payne said. It was a little dicey there for a minute. I was starting to worry about going to another team. Yesterday morning I thought the opportunity to come back was pretty much gone.
Payne was sitting in a doctors office on Long Island yesterday, getting checked out before heading to his hotel on Long Island. Dinner with the Jets coaches would follow. New York had lost its nose tackle, Jason Ferguson, to the Cowboys and were eager to talk to Payne. But en route to the hotel his cell phone rang. Agent Ralph Cindrich told Payne to head home. Payne asked his driver, one of the Jets trainers, to turn around and head back to LaGuardia Airport. I felt kind of bad for the guy, Payne said.
Thats the way free agency works, especially on the first day, when players are scattered all over the country. But lets just consider the flight to and from the Big Apple as a minor detour on the road back to Houston. Its been a great 24 hours, Payne said. I think they do things the right way here. I love the guys on the team. I love the way they conduct business. I think we have the potential to be one of those teams thats a playoff contender every year.
Count head coach Dom Capers among those excited, and relived, to have Payne returning. And not just for his performance on the field. Seth means more to the team than just his play, Capers said. He is a leader, he has a great work ethic and he knows what it takes to win. He has fought through adversity and gained the respect of his team and the entire organization.
The Rodeo rides outside the south entrance to Reliant Stadium have nothing on Paynes rollicking journey the past two years. After enjoying a career season in 2002 with 147 tackles, Payne opened the 2003 season in dominant fashion. But his season ended after just five quarters as he suffered an ACL injury in his left knee at New Orleans. I got my foot stuck and the knee gave out on me, Payne said.
His season was over, but the drama was only beginning. Payne had surgery on Sept. 29, 2003, and the initial rehab was proceeding as normal. But his knee flared up a few months later. Doctors first thought it was a staph infection before discovering that Paynes body was rejecting the cadaver tendon. On Jan. 12, 2004, Payne went under the knife again. This time, doctors took a patella tendon from his right knee and put it in his left ACL.
His rehab delayed, Payne nevertheless remained the hardest-working man at Reliant Stadium. He had been previously caught in the weight room on Christmas Day and sustained that work ethic after the second surgery. He finally hit the field in the Texans final preseason game against Tampa Bay.
Payne would be the first to admit it took him a few games to get his sea legs back last season. But soon enough, Payne became the high-motor 3-4 nose tackle they remembered. He started 12 of 16 games, collecting 84 tackles and two sacks, eventually earning the teams Ed Block Courage Award. But it was that 16th game and 12th start that provided the latest bit of pain and subsequent drama. In Houstons season finale against the Browns, Payne went down in the second quarter. The first thought for everybody in the stadium was obvious: Its his knee again.
Actually, it was Paynes hamstring and it was torn. Even if it wasnt the left knee, it was still a huge setback for a player two quarters away from free agency. But Payne tackled his latest rehab with the same fervor as his previous rehabs.
Lets be honest, Paynes recent history was a factor on the free agent market, whether it was Houston, New York, Cleveland or New Orleans. But his determination and leadership were also factors, and the Texans had a window into those dynamics that the other teams did not. (Except perhaps the Browns, where former Texans defensive line coach Todd Grantham is now defensive coordinator.) Its one thing to hear how hard a player works. Its another thing to see it day in and day out with your own eyes.
Paynes press conference today was at 11:30 a.m. We expected him to arrive and sign his contract maybe a half-hour before heading downstairs. Payne walked though the lobby before 9 a.m. We should have known better. Payne is as punctual as his head coach and now hes back in the Texans fold. Both men couldnt be happier.
Houstontexans.com
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One can only hope...The D-Line didn't get the job done last year, and if they aren't doing their job, it's nearly impossible for the LBs to do their job...
